Sport on the Seine

Under the bridges of Paris flows the Seine and beside it Parisians go running on the stone quays, dazzled by the rich heritage all around them.

As car traffic has been gradually cut back, the banks of the Seine are slowly reverting to towpaths where nothing can bring down your good mood. This is where you come to stay in shape, with or without a running coach. You will certainly need no coach to run down the Seine's Left Bank, from Port de Solferino under the eponymous bridge to Port du Gros Cailloux. At just about where Musée Branly is, there is a climbing wall for 3-10 year-olds and a 100-metre running track.

There is also a 2.3-kilometre fitness trail equipped with gym apparatus. From early July to late October, take free boxing, rope-skipping, Pilates, skateboarding, and rugby classes by booking online.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991, this is just the latest urban landscape that Parisians have reclaimed from the car.